THECB reviews progress on 'Building a Talent Strong Texas,' highlights MyTexasFuture growth and targets for credentials and research doctorates

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on July 24 received an update on progress toward its Building a Talent Strong Texas strategic plan and on implementation of tools intended to increase college access and credential attainment.

Deputy Commissioner David Trautman and agency staff presented results on the plan’s three headline goals: raising postsecondary attainment to 60% of working-age Texans by 2030, awarding 550,000 “credentials of value” annually, and increasing private and federal research and development spending by $1 billion while growing research doctorates to 7,500 per year.

The agency reported progress on all three metrics but said more work is needed. Assistant Commissioner Melissa Humphreys showed that attainment for both the 25–34 and 35–64 age groups has increased since the 2019 baseline and that, at current average annual growth rates (about 1–1.5%), the state would reach the 60% target by 2030. Humphreys cautioned that the 60% goal is aspirational and that many national forecasts suggest workforce demand closer to 70% of jobs requiring education beyond high school.

On credentials of value — which the agency calculates by comparing net cost (tuition and fees less aid) with expected earnings 10 years after graduation — the board heard that Texas awarded just over 403,000 such credentials in 2024. The count now includes short-term workforce credentials (institutional credentials leading to licensure or certification, “ICLCs”) collected under the community college funding model. With those additions, staff said year-to-year credential awards rose 5% from 2023 to 2024; staff estimated that…